I never used to baste , just in too much of a hurry to get it finished. But I did find that taking the time to baste the edge made the binding that much faster and easier. Now I never sew a binding without basting. Even quilts I have sent out to the longarm , I ask them to baste the edge . ( not all do it without asking) .

I run a row of serpentine stitching around the outside before I cut off the extra batting. It catches both the fabric and batting to keep the edge of the fabric down while sewing the binding on. Even if some gets trimmed off, it's still enough to hold the edge down. I just be sure to keep it within the seam allowance so it doesn't show. I find it easier to bind this way, it's one less thing to fuss with. :)